My Thoughts on Faith, Theology, Politics, and Government

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Day: June 1, 2012

An IFB Pastor’s Ugly, UnChristian Comments on Homosexuality – The Old Testament laws against homosexuality teach us that it is immoral, just as much as the laws against sex outside of marriage do, as well. But the corporal punishment and the death penalty was broadly applied in ancient Israel to a number of crimes including homosexuality. And it is wrong to extrapolate from these old laws that God wants homosexuals to be killed today. In fact in 1 Cor. 6, the Scripture says that some of the Christians in Corinth were formerly homosexulas and that they had been washed, cleansed and sanctified – and certainly weren’t worthy of death. – Bob Hayton

Legalism Is Never Harmless – Legalism is never harmless. Eternal life and death are at stake. That’s why Paul pronounces “anathema’s” on those who preach another gospel (Galatians 1:8,9). Keep in mind that legalism may not deny whatsoever that Jesus Christ is God. It might not deny the trinity, the incarnation, Christ;s death on the cross, or Christ’s resurrection. it just denies grace alone, and salvation is by grace alone. Grace alone makes much of God; legalism makes much of man. Grace requires reliance; legalism requires performance. Grace produces humble and thankful worship; legalism produces self-righteousness. grace frees and enables; legalism binds and has no transforming power. Please keep in mind as we discuss this that God’s law is good! it is holy, just, and good. The problem is not with God’s laws. The problem is with our inability because of our sinful natures. We need to be redeemed. – James Wilkes

How to Leave Your Old Church – Tell the pastor you are leaving. This may be the most important point. Please let someone know you are going. You may want people to notice you are gone, and a good elder board will notice, but if you’ve already decided to leave now is not the time for sour grapes. If you tell the leaders you are leaving, they can pray for you. Maybe they can clear up a misunderstanding. Or maybe they need to learn from your experience. Just don’t go silently into that good night. – Kevin DeYoung

The Demerit System is Ungodly and Anti-Gospel – The Demerit system doesn’t promote godliness, but rather lawlessness and hypocrisy. However, it’s not the Demerit System that needs to be ultimately changed in Christian schools and colleges…it’s the gospel-less environment of the school that mandates the need for it. In a gospel-void Christianity that is promoted by so many schools, the demerit system is an absolute necessity. There is no other way to restrain the passions of gospel-less students. The problem with many of these schools is that there are many unconverted posers that attend and are allowed in with nothing more than a very flimsy profession of faith. The Demerit System serves to keep order and a pretense of godliness much like the law of the Old Testament did. Just like the Law, the Demerit System cannot make someone holy, it can only make them guilty: Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. – Will Dudding